A Guide to your Vintage Bike

A vintage bike, cruiser or commuter… With such a wide variety of options to choose from, it isn’t always easy to find a bike that is right for you. At Lekker, we’ve combined vintage-styled aesthetics and premium build quality with modern gearing systems to bring to you a truly modern yet classic range of bicycles suitable for all types of riding.

Featuring full-length mudguards along with chain guards, lights, internal gearing hubs, thick-set tyres and roomy carrying capacity, you’re able to ride a modern, premium built bike, whilst at the same time enjoying the style and relaxed nature of a vintage bike.

Which Frame to Choose

The two main styles of bike frame design are a step-through frame, and a straight frame. The step-through design provides a slightly more relaxed, vintage look and feel – a very practical design, enabling you to get off and on the bike with ease – stepping ‘through’ instead of ‘over’ the bike’s top tube, ideal for those looking for a relaxed style cruiser bike. In comparison, the straight bar design offers a sleeker, more modern looking, functional design – for those in need of a fast-paced road or inner city commuter bike.

Use the handy Lekker Size Tables to ensure you’ll pick the right size:

Wheels and Tyres

When it comes to bike wheels, there are two main or sizes; 26-inch and 700c. 26-inch wheels are found on most mountain bikes – a wide and tough design, ideal for a range of terrains. 700c wheels are commonly found on road bikes – a slightly larger and a slimmer design. All bike wheels have either a single or double rim design, with the double rim design providing a stronger, more durable wheel.

At Lekker Bikes, all of our bikes use a double-wall designed, 700c wheel – making them a very suitable all-rounder. On our Vintage Ladies and Men’s Bikes, we pair this with a premium thickset tyre for added stability and support. For our Men’s and Women’s Commuter range, we use a premium lightweight and robust ThickSlick race tyre, ideal for road riding in all conditions – ensuring you stay cautious in wet conditions.

The Importance of Gears

Gears on a bike can not only assist you in making hills easier, but also in making longer rides more comfortable – enabling you to choose different levels of pedal resistance relevant to the terrain you’re riding. Gear options often range from 3-speed, to 7-speed and beyond. A 3-speed system is ideal for flat inner city riding with the occasional hill, with a 7-speed system suitable for most riding beyond this.

All of our Sportief and Jordaan Vintage Ladies and Men’s Bikes range along with our Women’s and Men’s Amsterdam Commuter Series bikes, come with both gearing options – providing you with the most amount of ease when it comes to navigating on your bike. Along with this, we use an advanced Internal Gearing Hub, providing a cleaner, lighter design – you’re able to enjoy the benefits of a multi-gear system, without the added weight and size of a traditional system.

In addition to these 3 and 7-speed options, our Amsterdam Elite Commuter Series also comes with a Nuvinci Hub, giving an even wider set of gearing options to tackle the steepest of hills.

Brakes

Make sure to be aware of the brake system that your bike has. Try to look for ‘dual pivot caliper brakes’ (a slightly more traditional look) or a style called ‘v-brakes’ (to be found on modern, premium vintage-styled bikes). These styles both offer a more reliable and safer braking system than older-style systems.

Colour Options

This is of course up to personal preference. If you’re looking for a highly visible, high profile ride – that in turn can increase safety – a brighter colour is ideal. If a more low profile, subtler colour-way is your preference, black or navy are excellent choices. At the end of the day, choose a colour that will get you excited to ride – to enjoy the wind flowing through your hair and the sun shining on your back.

Accessories

This will depend on the style of bike you’re interested in, as well as the type of riding you’ll be doing. As a general rule, the main accessories that you should be aware of are lights, front and rear carrier racks, baskets, mudguards, chain guards and a kickstand.

Lights – If you’ll be riding before the sun, or after sundown.

Front and rear Carrier Racks & Basket – Enable you to carry items on your bike. Place on top of this a basket, and you have a large area to transport your goods with ease.

Kickstand – Keeping your bike from falling and getting damaged when not in use.

Conclusion

Purchasing a bike can be quite a personal thing. This is why it can be important to not only do some research, but to also speak with others who may be able to point you in the right direction. Here at Lekker, we have a wide range of bikes suited to all different riding styles and terrains.

Whether you’re searching for a vintage ladies or men’s bike, or a sleek women’s or men’s commuter bike, we hope that the above guide will be able to help you in choosing a bike that is right for you and your needs. If you’re looking for further advice at all, on any of the above sections, or would like to come into one of our shops for a free test-ride – feel free visit our website or give us a call. Or simply, pop in and speak to one of our friendly staff members at either one of our Melbourne or Sydney shops today.